Mattress



March 17, 1953 J. F. HENTZELL MATTRESS Filed April 15, 1946 INVENTOR JOHN F'. HENTZELL ATTORN 5Y5 Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

assembled and disassembled, and which mattress is stronger than heretofore and less likely to require repairs.

" Heretofore it has been the general practice to provide padding at opposite sides of a central spring unit. The spring units are made up of coil springs (mostly double helical springs) and padding sheets, each comprising a layer of padding or cotton felt between sheets of fabric, are positioned at opposite sides of the spring units. These are tufted, the tufting strings or tapes extending between the sheets and across the space occupied by the springs for holding the sheets taut against the Spring unit. Boxing finally encircles the mattress joining the opposite outermost coverings of the sheets together. The covering adjacent the springs is usually called the spring unit casing while the outermost covering is called the ticking.

With this structure, the tufting strings are frequently cut by the springs, and the buttons on the opposite outer sides of the mattress frequently become loosened and turn over edgewise resulting in discomfort to the user. Furthermore, the replacement or repair of spring units has heretofore amounted to practically making the entire mattress anew and is therefore quite expensive.

With the present invention all of the above mentioned disadvantages are overcome, and a mattress can be opened up and the spring unit, or one or more of the springs thereof, can be replaced and the mattress reassembled in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, there is no cutting of the tufting strings or tape by the springs, nor are the tufting buttons accidentally loosened as has heretofore so frequently occurred.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings, a

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary part sectional, part elevational view of a mattress.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional, part plan view of a part of a mattress as seen at right angles to Fig. 1, or looking down on a mattress from above.

Fig. 3 is a view of one of the connecting means for holding the padding sheets taut against the spring unit, said view being at right angles to the same means indicated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a reduced fragmentary plan view of a mattress with my improved tufting passing through the centers of the springs.

In detail, the mattress illustrated comprises thereto.

coil springs I that may be of the double helical type or straight coil spring. These are arranged in equally spaced relationship, and pairs of adjacent springs may be connected by the usual wire coils 2. This is standard construction and the entire spring assembly may be termed the the spring unit.

The spring casing consists of fabric sheets 3 that extend over opposite sides of the spring unit. Heretofore cotton felt or padding went over these sheets 3 with the ticking sheets over the padding, after which the tufting was done with the tufting twine extending through both casing sheets, both layers of padding and both of the ticking sheets.

In the present instance, each cover sheet or ticking d is first stretched tautly on a frame. Then the required amount of padding5 is placed on the ticking after which one side 3 of the spring casing is stretched over the padding.

Assuming the above assembly represents the upper padding sheet seen in Fig. 1, the casing sheet 3 has secured thereto a plurality of fabric strips 8. One of the ends of each of these strips connects with sheet 3 at points where the tufting is to be done. The opposite ends of said strips 8 each carry an eye or ring 9 (Fig. 3) secured The padding sheet is now tufted, the tufting twine or cord I0 extending through the end of each strip 8 that is connected with sheet 3, then through the casing 3, padding 5, ticking ti and the loop of the tuft or button I i and back through the ticking, padding, spring casing and strip 8, after which it is securely tied. In a full sized spring mattress there are usually 39 of these strips 8.

The lower padding sheet seen on Fig. 1 is then tufted in the same manner and strips l2 are secured to said sheet at points corresponding to the points where the strips 8 are secured to the upper padding sheet. Strips I2 carry snap hooks 53 (Fig. 1) at their outer ends that have safety mousings to prevent accidetal separation of the hooks from the eyes 9 when connected thereto.

The strips 8 are preferably only about a third as long as strips l2, hence, when the lower padding sheet is placed below the spring unit, the hooks i3 may be readily connected with the eyes or rings 9 as seen in Fig. 1, it being understood that the strips 8, I 2 when connected, hold the padding sheets as taut against the spring unit as were the conventional tufting strings or tape to extend between said sheets.

The term padding sheets, as used herein, refers to each layer of padding 5 and the spring casing sheet 3 and ticking 4 that are on opposite sides of the padding. By the above structure it will be apparent that each padding sheet is tufted before they are positioned at opposite sides of the spring unit, hence there is no chance for the buttons or tufts I l to become loose upon compression of the springs, nor will the springs cut the tufting or cords.

After the spring unit is positioned between the padding sheets and the inner strips 8, I2 are connected, the boxing l5 may connect theouter ticking sheets i in any suitable manner, as by sewing, indicated generally at I! (Fig. 1) and in certain instances hookless fasteners It may connect either ticking sheet to the boxing along three edges of the mattress to enable quick detachment of the boxing so as to facilitate removal of one or both of the padding sheets.

Minor spring replacement may be quickly made by progressively unhooking the strips 3, l2 from the edge of the mattress nearest the spring to be replaced. after which the said strips are progressively reconnected.

In Fig. 4. is shown an arrangement in which the strips 8, 1? connecting the padding sheets extend through the centers of certain of said springs 1 instead of extending between adjacent pairs of springs. Except for this difference the remaining structure is identical with that of the-previously described views. This arrangement in certain instances is preferred to the one in which the strips extend between adjacent pairs of springs.

While the drawings show the strips 8, 9 between each adjacent pair of springs, they may be in any desired arrangement, except that they should be positioned to clear the springs, as shown. in the drawings.

I claim:

1. An innerspring mattress comprising a central compressible spring unit made up of a plurality of equally spaced coil springs in side by side relationship and a pair of tufted padding sheets extending across opposite ends of said springs, means extending axially through certain of said springs releasably connecting said sheets and holding them against said springs under tension, said means including interengaging strips respectively carried by said sheets and releasable locking means for securing said strips against accidental separation, a ticking sheet covering said pair of padding sheets and connecting the latter along their side edges, a readily operable closure along three sides of said ticking sheet for permitting access to said spring unit.

2. An inner spring mattress comprising a central compressible spring unit made up of a plurality of coil springs in side by side relationship with parallel axes, a pair of opposed padding sheets each tufted at spaced points for holding the padding in each sheet compressed at said points, said sheets extending across the opposite ends of said springs, parallel flexible tie members respectively secured at one of their ends to one sheet of said pair at said points with the other ends of said members being free, the other sheet of said pair being tufted at points directly opposite the points of tufting of said one sheet and quick detachable coupling means carried by said other sheet at the said points and by said free ends connecting said sheets by said members with the latter extending perpendicularly to said sheets and for holding said sheets against the opposite ends of said springs, a ticking sheet covering said pair of padding sheets and connecting the latter along their side edges, a readily operable closure along three sides of said ticking, sheet for permitting access to said spring unit.

.3. An innerspring mattress comprising a central. compressible spring unit made up of a plurality of coil springs in side by side relationship with. parallel. axes, a pair of opposed padding sheets each tufted. at spaced points for holding the padding in each sheet compressed, at said points, saidsheets extending across the opposite ends of said springs, parallel flexibletie members respectively secured at one of their ends to one sheet of. said pair at said points with the other ends of said members being free,.the other sheet of said pair being tufted at points directly opposite the points ofv tufting of said one sheet and quick detachable coupling means carried by said other sheet at the said. points and. by said free ends connecting said sheets by said members with the latter extending perpendicularly to said sheets and for holding said sheets against the opposite ends of said springs, said members extending centrally through said springs axially thereof and spaced from the coils thereof, a ticking sheet covering saidpair of. padding sheets and connecting the latter along their side edges, a readily operable closure along three sides of said ticking sheet for permitting access to said spring unit.

JOHN F. I-IENTZELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references" are of record 111115118 file of this patent:

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